'World's First' Free, Accessible IT Training Course Goes Live.

What is claimed to be the world's first free, accessible, online learning programme teaching people the basics of computer maintenance and networking has been launched in Australia. The course is open for anyone to apply, from anywhere in the world.

The course runs for two days per week over a one year period. Students learn the fundamentals of computer operating systems and network infrastructure, learning how to build a computer and install different versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system; how to maintain and use networking equipment; and how to install and run medium to large-sized networks.

The course is endorsed by networking infrastructure company Cisco. According to Iain Murray, course co-ordinator at the Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia, all of the content is accessible to a person with an internet connection and assistive equipment such as a screen reader or text magnifier. "We have made notes for JAWS users on accessing the online material but it works just as well with other products including VoiceOver on Apple machines," Murray told E-Access Bulletin.

Live lectures are delivered using the 'Skype' internet telephone service, which has negligible cost, he said. According to Murray, graphs, diagrams and mathematical notation have been made accessible. "The course is not overly athematical but does include a significant amount of binary and hexadecimal conversions. For this we have developed a 'peg board'. It's a very simple device that consists of a piece of wood or plastic with three rows of 32 holes in it. This also allows the calculation of IP addresses and subnets. We ask that students attempt to get one of these made locally, but if that is not possible we ship one to them, at no charge," said Murray.

Prospective students can find out more by emailing Iain Murray on: i.murray@ece.curtin.edu.au <mailto:i.murray@ece.curtin.edu.au> .